The Cleveland Cavaliers may be under .500 right now, the Celtics may have all the headlines with their offseason acquisitions (see Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen) and the Detroit Pistons may still have the best starting 5 in basketball as they continue to win game after game. But I still feel like the Cavs have a fighting chance at returning to the NBA Finals. Here's why:
1) It is long season and 8 teams get in the playoffs. They just need to get in brackets. They don't need to have a better record than the Celts and Pistons.
2) LeBron Freaking James. Take your Kobe, Iverson, Shaq, DWade but LeBron is so good he was able to carry this team of average-at-best players past those mighty Pistons last year. Think about it. The best starting five versus the best starting one. 5 on 1. And he won. Some may blame coaching stating Flip Saunders tired his starters throughout the regular season by never playing his bench. But seriously, look at the other side.....Mike Brown? Outcoached by Mike Brown? Doubt it. "The Squint" isn't a 50 win coach. He has a 50 win player on his team. So the King has proven to me he can carry this team in a best of seven series.
3) Underrated supporting cast. I undertand this may seem like a contradiction to my last point but hang in there with me. National media types, fans in other markets, casual fans and haters love to point out that LeBron doesn't have a second hand man or a "Scottie Pippen" to help him. They are quick to say the supporting cast around James is not good enough. And for the most part they are correct. I, too, think Ferry needs to draft or sign a legitimate number 2 (preferably a point guard) to ease James' burden. BUT....while the current supporting cast may not have a consistent go to guy, it has a bunchof guys who could. So I argue that volume is a strength for the Cavs. On any given night, one of these guys may step up and play the role of "Robin" to LeBron's Batman. Then someone else steps up the following night. Hughes could drop 25 and persky defense, Ilgauskas could get 25 and 12 with key offensive tips or boards, Gooden could go 18 and 10 and show some passions, Gibson could light up 4-5 threes and fearless drives to get to the line where he's pure, Pavlovic could get 15 points with some surprisingly strong takes to the bucket. In a seven game series, that is all you need. A different guy each night adding to James' patented playoff line of 27 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds unless he needs to go for 40.
4) Defense wins championships. One thing I will credit "The Squint" with is his defensive emphasis. I like it. I think it is critical to keep other teams from lighting us up. I recall Mike Fratello taking an undermaned Cavs team to the playoffs by slowingt he game down. I recall good old Tressel Ball ( a blog for another time) of punt play defense, win field position battle and score on short fields to grind out 10-6 games winning a championship in '02. Defense levels the playing field. Brown is a defensive guy. Good for us.
5) The team is finally together. Andy V may not be a great player in and of himself, but I truly believe he is the glue to keeps the team together. He is the energy that runs the machine. I really do.
This is a case where I'd say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Look out KG, Ray ray and Pierce. Watch your back (again) Rasheed, BBBBBBBillups and Rip. Here come our Cavs. And King James is taking no prisoners!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment